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Hebrews 3:1. So, holy brothers, participants in the heavenly calling, “So”, that is, after I said that this is how He is the High Priest - faithful and merciful to our sins, and able to help - look and you will find that this is absolutely so. He said: “participants in the heavenly calling,” that is: we are called there, we should not look for anything here; there is a reward, there is a reward. consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ, Because of the flesh, everything is despised, as is often said. The apostle speaks thus because he was sent to the sheep of the house of Israel. “High Priest of our confession,” that is, faith; for He is not the High Priest of the subordinate ministry, but of our faith. Hebrews 3:2. Who is faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses was in all His house. Intending to depict the advantages of Christ over Moses, the apostle speaks of the high priesthood and says that both the people were entrusted to both, but to Christ more. At first he does not show the superiority of Christ, lest they turn away; for although they were faithful, they were still devoted to Moses. While he likens the Lord to him, saying that He is also faithful to the Father, Who made Him high priest and apostle. Here we are not talking about substance, but about guarantee. “Faithful,” that is, benevolent, interceding for those who belong to the Father, and not allowing them to perish, on the contrary, seeking their salvation. “Like Moses in all His house,” that is, among the people. The people call it home, as we usually say. For the people were also called Moses, as for example: “Your people have become corrupt” (Ex. 32:7). Like a trustee, he says, and a steward in the house, Moses was among the people. Hebrews 3:3. For He is worthy of greater glory before Moses, in proportion as he who built it has more honor than the house. Hebrews 3:4. for every house is built by someone; and the one who arranged everything is God. This is where the superiority that the Lord has over Moses. He says that he too was faithful throughout the house, that is, among the people, but he was also one of this house: and he was a man like the others; although a saint, he was a slave with them; just like the trustees of houses, although they are superior to others, yet they are servants along with others. Therefore, since he was also part of the house, he was created by someone, and the one who created him undoubtedly surpasses him. And the Son of God created him, who took flesh and was called high priest for his sake: therefore, he is superior. Look how the apostle began with a comparison according to the flesh, and brought it to Divinity and showed that the Creator is incomparably superior to creation. Hebrews 3:5. And Moses was faithful in all His house, as a minister, to testify to what was to be declared; Hebrews 3:6. and Christ is like the Son Here, another superiority is shown: Moses was faithful, like a servant appointed to convey the commandments of the Lord to other servants and to be a witness before God in court in what was said to them. For if he calls heaven and earth as witnesses, as for example: “Hear, O heavens, and hear, O earth” (Deut. 32:1; cf. Is. 1:2), and valleys, for example: “Listen, O solid foundations of the earth” (Mic. 6:2), then much more so does man. Christ is faithful as the true Son and heir, fulfilling the works of the Father according to His will. Truly, the difference between such a Master and a slave is incomparable. in His house; But we are His house, if only we hold fast the boldness and hope in which we boast. Moses' house was a people, of which he himself was a part. And Christ has a house, that is, us, but if we endure to the end and do not fall. Here he encourages them to be strong in adversity and not to weaken in spirit: then we, like Moses, will be the house of God. Praises them, showing that they have begun something that must continue to the end. He said well: “the boldness and the confidence in which we boast.” For everyone who firmly hopes that there will be reward boasts of what is already expected as if it were present, and does not lose heart; on the contrary, he has more confidence when he endures misfortunes for his beloved Christ. Hebrews 3:7. Why, as the Holy Spirit says, now, when you hear His voice, Hebrews 3:8. do not harden your hearts, as in the time of murmuring, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, Hebrews 3:9. where your fathers tempted Me, tested Me, and saw My works for forty years. Hebrews 3:10. Therefore I was indignant at this generation and said: they continually err in heart, they have not known My ways; Hebrews 3:11. therefore I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter My rest. (Compare Ps.94:7–11) Having spoken about hope and that one must confidently expect rewards and peace from labors here, he further proves on the basis of the words of the prophet: believers will enter into rest, but unbelievers will not enter, just as the ancients did not enter. For after the Jews had crossed the Red Sea and received in the desert countless proofs of God's care and power for them, they decided to send spies to inspect the nature of the land into which they intended to enter. Those who set off returned and spoke with surprise about the nature of that land and that it was inhabited by invincible people. And so the people, who should have paid attention to the invincible power of God, were amazed by these words, grumbled and decided that they should return to Egypt. Therefore, God, angry that he had so quickly forgotten about so many miracles, swore that the murmuring generation would not enter the land of promise - and indeed, they all perished in the wilderness, except Caleb and Joshua. Therefore, if David, speaking after this generation, said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:15), then so that you do not suffer the same as your forefathers, and do not lose peace; it is clear that he was talking about some other peace that we must acquire. For if they have truly achieved rest, then why does he say: “now... do not harden your hearts,” like the fathers, lest you also enter into rest? What other peace is this if not the Kingdom of Heaven, the image of which is the Sabbath and the representative entry into Palestine of the children of that disbelieving generation? For there are three rests: the rest of the Sabbath, when God rested from his works. David did not think to talk about this peace now, since it had been there for a long time. The other is the entry into the land of promise, upon entering which the Jews were supposed to calm down from wars and wanderings. And this is not what he is talking about now, for Palestine then, in the time of David, was already occupied by Jews. How then would David speak of her as if she had not yet been acquired? So, he understood a different peace into which Joshua could not lead his people. What kind of peace is this if not peace in heaven? Therefore, take care that you do not lose it through unbelief, like our forefathers. This is the meaning of this entire very significant passage: it must be examined in parts. But note that one should not demand an account from God, but should believe in Him, whether He saves from disasters or not. He also accuses them of tempting Him, that is, without testing they did not trust in Him as Almighty. Hebrews 3:12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil and unfaithful heart, This was said to intimidate. Probably, there were some who did not believe in the truth of what was said about retribution and therefore wanted to test the power of God and care for them in the temptations to which they were exposed. Therefore, he protects them, reminding them of what those who did not believe suffered in ancient times. For future horrors do not hold back many as much as the past and already known to everyone. Pay attention to the fact that from unbelief everyone moves on to evil thoughts and the same deeds. So that you do not depart from the living God. Unbelief finds no other way out except that everyone departs from God. As long as a person clings to God and trusts in Him as omnipotent, he does not consider anything impossible. Hebrews 3:13. But instruct one another every day, as long as you can say, “Today,” That is, edify one another and strengthen one another, so as not to fall. If anyone falls, restore him while he lives; this means the expression: “as long as we can say: ‘today’”, for there is hope. In particular, let there not be a bad heart in anyone; and if it happens, do not let him fall into despair, but comfort him, and you will win him again. lest any of you become hardened by being deceived by sin. That is, so that he does not become bitter out of despair and remain incurable. For just as hardened and rough bodies do not yield to the efforts of doctors, so hardened souls do not obey the word of God. “Deception by sin” refers to either the deception of the devil, that is, not to hope that there will be retribution, or carelessness. For, he says, if I have once sinned, then I no longer have any hope - truly this is sinful deception. Sin, seducing and attracting to itself, forces one to think as it is said: “with the coming of the wicked comes contempt” (Proverbs 18:3). And whoever despises can no longer believe. Thus, unbelief comes from sin. “And they say: “The Lord will not see, and God will not know Jacob”” (Ps. 93:7). And again: “saying in their hearts: “You will not seek”” (Ps. 9:34), and: “God has forgotten” (Ps. 9:32), and all the like. Hebrews 3:14. For we have become partakers of Christ, That is, we and He became one and became as much involved in Him as the body is in the head. Here he inspires them with hope, as if to say: He who loved us so much that he even made us his body will not allow us to be torn away from him unless we are willing. At the same time, it hints at what is said elsewhere: “if we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12). Being now partakers in the same thing in which Christ was, obviously, in tribulations, let us also then strive to be partakers in glory. if only we firmly preserve the life we have begun to the end, That is, faith; for through it we exist and realize divine and spiritual existence and rebirth. And here it requires standing firmly in faith to the end. Hebrews 3:15. until it is said: “Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the time of murmuring.” He confirms how he said: “until the end”, and says that this is indicated in the expression: “now”. For “today” means: always, as he said above: “But disciple one another every day, as long as it is possible to say ‘today’” (Heb. 3:13). Or, what is more approving, as said by St. John Chrysostom, the apostle makes a transition from the words: “until it is said: “Today, when you hear His voice,” to the following: “Therefore let us be afraid, lest, while the promise still remains” (Heb. 4:1), etc. Hebrews 3:16. For some of those who heard began to murmur; Having heard, he says, the promise of God: I will give you the land of Canaan, they did not believe it and angered God with their unbelief. Take heed, and do not disbelieve the promises. For hearing alone will not profit you unless you join together and believe. Just as for those, listening did not bring any benefit, but on the contrary, they died in all fairness because they did not believe the words of God. but not all who came out of Egypt were with Moses. Caleb and Joshua were not among those who did not believe, and therefore they achieved the promise and entered Palestine. Hebrews 3:17. With whom was He indignant for forty years? Is it not on those who sinned, whose bones fell in the wilderness? Concludes his speech with a question for greater clarity and less controversy. Questions are offered to those confessing. Offers punishment as well. They fell, he says, in the desert, that is, the large thigh bones. Through the part he pointed to whole bodies. Hebrews 3:18. Against whom did he swear that they would not enter His rest, if not against the disobedient? Hebrews 3:19. So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief. Above he said: “not against those who have sinned,” and now: “disobedient.” It seems to hint at such Jewish believers, because many of them fell into other sins besides cowardice and lack of faith in the future. From this we see that the disobedient did not enter; that is, the punishment for sin is before our eyes and it is recognized by everyone. You might be interested in: